Teenagers Serving the Lord - Serving the Lord at Home

By Sarah Beth Taylor

"I have to go the BATHROOM!" "He's pinching me!" "I've heard that story before." Scraped knees, never-ending questions, dirty hands and mouths, laughter, crayons, and eager faces. All of these remind me of the two years that I taught the 4's and 5's in Vacation Bible School, and of last year when I taught the 2's and 3's Sunday school class. Working with children is difficult. Some days I would like to send them home early instead of trying to capture their attention long enough for one Bible verse. Any reasonable person might ask me why I do this. After all, teaching kids whose attention span is little more than three minutes does not appeal to the average teenager. Why am I doing all of this work? I want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Can we change the song, even though we are going to sing it tomorrow?" "Could you play it a little faster--the tempo just doesn't seem right." "Would you be willing to learn this Christmas cantata in three weeks?" Achy fingers and hands, a huge keyboard, sore throats. These remind me of my ministry on the piano. I have been playing in church since sixth grade. I have accompanied singers, played numerous special numbers, Christmas cantatas, church services, and recitals. Why would a teenager want to put in so much practice for seemingly so little profit? The same answer is repeated: I want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

The same answer applies to other things I have done over the years, such as teach a children's choir, help with SWAT (Soul Winning and Tract Distribution), clean up after many church functions, and fill in places where I might be needed. My two younger sisters, Emma and Martha, have also done much of what I have described.

I must tell you now that we are pastor's kids. Some people believe that participating in the in-depth service I have mentioned is limited to pastor's or missionary's kids. I am writing this to contradict that false philosophy. Anyone is able to serve the Lord. Talent, public-speaking ability, and degrees in teaching don't matter when the Lord presents you with an opportunity to serve Him. What does matter is your willingness to give some of your time, patience, and love. If you are willing to give of yourself with a good attitude, then you are ready to serve the Lord. It really is more simple than most people think.

The first step for a person to take is to ask his pastor or youth pastor what areas of service in the church could use a helping hand. There is almost always something to do. If there is, pray about it. If the Lord gives a "green light", then move ahead and serve Him. If your pastor cannot find an assignment you can still serve the Lord. For instance, you can smile and welcome visitors, encourage fellow Christians, or set up and clean up after a church function. Some of these suggestions may sound insignificant, but they are just as much needed in the church as a teacher or a piano player.

When you have found a way to serve the Lord, do your best for Him. The Lord does not want a half-done job. He wants the very best that you can achieve. He also wants you to serve Him with a joyful attitude. This is especially hard when you are feeling tired, frustrated, and annoyed. Nevertheless, God wants you to try to be joyful, not only for His sake, but for your testimony's sake as well. Fellow teenagers, I encourage you to start serving the Lord today.

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